Australia's Few. 27 July 1940

On 8 July 1940, 234 Squadron’s Blue Section—Flight Lieutenant Pat Hughes, Pilot Officer Keith Lawrence and Sergeant George Bailey—attacked a Junkers Ju 88 over a convoy. They were credited with the squadron’s first confirmed enemy casualty.

 

On 27 July, Pat Hughes was again leading Blue Section, this time on a patrol to Lands End. The section, this time with Flying Officer Francis Connor (who had only joined the squadron on 6 July after converting to Spitfires) flying as Number Two, was ordered to patrol Lands End. They took off at 14.45 p.m. Fifteen minutes later, Pat was ordered to take the section to 23,000 feet. He was about 25 miles south east of Lands End at this stage and saw an enemy aircraft directly above. Then—and here we will hand over to Pat’s account which he wrote in the third person—‘[the] E/A immediately dived vertically. Blue One attacked from astern, using deflection and followed E/A down onto water. Blue One fired three bursts. Both rear guns put out of action. Perspex was seen to fly off the top cockpit and part of aircraft fell from both engines. Blue One finished all his ammunition and broke away to port, estimated speed of enemy aircraft 300 mph.’

 

Pat was credited with damaging a Ju 88.